Why Gen Z Is Calling Diet Coke A 'Fridge Cigarette'

In the past, people used to get a few moments of peace by taking a smoke break. Nowadays, it's pretty widely accepted that there's one key issue with smoke breaks: Smoking is bad for you. But if your job is wearing you down, and cigarettes will eventually damage most of the organs in your body, then what's left? According to TikTok, the real answer is that you can simply take a break without smoking through what the app likes to call a "fridge cigarette."

A TikTok user named Rachel Reno recently posted a now-viral video in which she said, "Overheard someone call Diet Coke a 'fridge cigarette' and nothing's been more true to me since." Indeed, the phrase seems to mean taking a break from whatever important work you're doing and grabbing a soda from the fridge instead of going out for a cigarette. The clip went viral enough that Reno spoke to the New York Times and compared the satisfying catharsis of snapping the tab of a soda can to sparking a lighter. In both cases, it's a tangible reminder that you're taking a break, and so you should try to relax.

Replacing cigarettes with soda should hardly be surprising. According to the American Lung Association, general cigarette usage fell by about 73% among adults between 1965 and 2022, even if candy cigarettes are still legal in America. In comparison, about 25% of Americans consumed soda or energy drinks every day as of 2023 (via Statista), and Diet Coke comes with the advantage of being artificially sweetened without sugar. Diet Coke also has more caffeine than the regular variety, even if neither contains as much caffeine as coffee. If you can't bring yourself to grab a fridge cigarette, you can always take a coffee break instead.

Is a fridge cigarette actually healthier than a cigarette? Diet Coke (much like Coke Zero) does not contain any sugar or calories, and it doesn't contain any of the nicotine and other harmful things found inside a cigarette. However, that still doesn't mean drinking lots of Diet Coke is nutritious, and being healthier than tobacco is a pretty low bar to clear. There are conflicting reports on whether aspartame (the artificial sweetener used in Diet Coke) actually poses risks for cancer, but some scientists think it may be addictive. I can speak from experience with family members in declaring that you can absolutely become addicted to Diet Coke. So take those work breaks whenever you can, but watch those fridge cigarettes.